Author's Note

This is an alternative timeline/world from my story Why me?.

You don't have to read it to know what is going on. I'll add a little bit of background that I used in my other story to help plug in some backstory on the relationship between the MC and Celestia.

~~This won't be updated all that much as this is just a side project of mine. This story is something for me to just go do so that I won't get bored with my other story, or maybe it might take a life of its own who knows?~~

Wrong lever...

It was dark, oppressive, mysterious, yet calming. Night had settled in the castle or whatever was left of it. Stone walls are cracked or covered with green vines. A cool and gentle breeze blew past me. Grateful that I was wearing my blue and red letterman jacket along with my black sweatpants. My faded and worn brown hiking boots created a dull clack as I walked down the empty halls of the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Yes, I’m in Equestria. The magical land of talking, singing, flying, and dancing pastel-color ponies. How did I get to Equestria you ask? Well, it started about a month and a half ago when Princess Celestia appeared at my home asking for a place to stay. Cool right?

Not at first.

After a mental and reality check, I agreed to allow her to stay while she charged her magic so that she could go home.

It was an interesting time that's for sure. As if having a four-legged pony princess join your family for Christmas could be anything but interesting, but boy did I enjoy my time with her. For the first time in a long while, I could be myself. Something I couldn’t do in college. Part of the reason why I came home after graduation, and how I was able to meet with Celestia.

Talk about great timing.

Eventually, it all came to an end, because like all good things they have to end.

The time for Celestia to go had come. It was a tearful farewell and deep down I didn't want her to leave. I also hoped that she would invite me to come along. Childish, I know but how wouldn't want that?

It was that moment when everything changed for me.

I gathered my courage so I could ask Celestia if I could come with her. I reached out to grab her tail to stop her even though half of her body had already passed through the portal, but I tripped on something and fell through the portal. The last thing I remember seeing was my family’s shocked face before my vision blew up with a rainbow of colors. The next thing I knew I found myself in the ruins of this castle. It didn't take me long to figure out where I was thanks to the banners of the sun and the moon with two alicorns circling around them.

Nightmare Moon plastered on the moon was a good indication as well.

With no idea which part of the castle I was in I decided to walk around. It was better than just sitting around. This leads to my current predicament.

Hands in my pocket, I wandered through the broken castle. The air was crisped yet heavy with the lingering feeling of past memories. The sorrow of the battle between two sisters ripped apart by dark emotions grasped my spine like a cold dead hand

I shuddered, “I should find a place to hunker down for the night,” I said softly to myself, as my pace quickened, but also with care. Memories of when the Mane Six came into the castle at night came to mind. Particularly when they tripped the numerous traps scattered throughout the castle.

Yea, I do not want to spend the night being thrown around by secret buttons, trap doors, and whatnot. Which by the way should not be operational still!

In the corner of my eye, I caught a glint of light and I paused in my walk.

I turned my head to see a dull painting. The colors had faded and the frame had cracked and rotten away. One step forward later and I was able to decipher some details of the painting. There was a good layer of dust over the picture, but I was able to see that there were four figures. Two of them I could barely recognize as Celestia and Luna, but they looked odd because they looked humanoid.

That can’t be right. Celestia was definitely a four-legged pony. Perhaps this is one of those weird interpretations of the sisters because artists are weird like that. Who are the other two I wonder, their parents?

I reached out and grasped the picture frame, pausing at the sound of a crunch from the frame.

“Okay,” I whispered as I held the picture gently, “gently now,” slowly I lifted the picture off of its hook.

There was a loud resounding click.

The low rumble that came caused me to stop and for a single word to leave my deadpan gaze.

“Fuck.”

The ground below me vanished and my stomach fell before I did.

I only felt the feeling of weightlessness only for a moment before I hit the stone ground, but my journey wasn’t over. My body began to slide down as gravity reasserted its control. I tried to reach to grab something to stop my descent but was unable to do so. Slowly I began to pick up speed and my attempts to stop proved futile.

A chorus of expletives sang out of my lips as my body began to spiral downwards. The wind screamed in my ears as I traveled down the slide. Unlike the slide of my youth, this one was not fun.

Like at all.

The spider webs didn’t help either.

I pulled what must have been the twelfth cobweb out of my face when the light shined at the end of the tunnel. As it zoomed over so the closer I prayed that I wasn’t heading to my literal end.

Although the pain I felt when I hit the ground made me wish it was the end.

Gingerly, I picked myself up and pushed through the pain. The room began to sway and become blurry. Closing my eyes I laid back down.

Slowly the abyss took me.

The night began to set over Equestria. Ponies all over began to get ready for bed. The exception is the Metropolis such as Manehattan, Baltimare, and Fillydelphia where the ponies worked into the night.

Even the capital of Canterlot was winding down for the night. Located at the heart of the city was Canterlot Castle, the city’s pride and joy. White walls created a protective barrier between the city and the inhabitants of the castle.

The same color scheme was used on the main building except for the roof of the towers where purple and golden trims were the name of the game. The towers reached high in the sky and gave the residents a bird-eye view of the entire city, but as of now, the room lay dormant.

Within the walls, a large garden decorated the outer landscapes. In this garden, there were flowers of every species and were in colors that came from the rainbow and everything in between.

In the garden, a sole occupant walked through the grassy path. Her pristine pearl white hooves were wrapped with golden shoes. Her pale blue, green, and pink hair waved in the wind that wasn’t blowing

Princess Celestia took a deep breath before she looked to the night sky and onto the moon where her sister, corrupted by Nightmare Moon, was banished. "It's been almost a thousand years since I've seen you, dear sister," the princess whispered. Her eyes began to mist and she lifted a hoof to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall. "But that is okay," she continued with a sniffle, "We'll be reunited soon, Luna."

Soon memories of her time in the human world began to flush through her mind. A small smile tugged on her muzzle as she remembered a certain human. With a deep breath, she let out a content hum of satisfaction. Celestia looked around her garden at the beautiful flowers that decorated the ground. Her personal favorite was the Solar Lilies, small white lily flowers that absorb the sunlight during the day and at night have a slight glow to them. The palace gardener caught wind of that and she had a couple of dozen planted throughout the palace.

Sean is an interesting individual for sure. Humans were interesting to study altogether, but something about this particular one tickled her fancy. Perhaps it was the way he reacted to her sudden appearance or the face he made when she used magic to prove to him that she was, in fact, real. Or perhaps it was because he treated her like an equal, not a goddess.

Before she could reminisce even further the back of her mind tickled. Celestia’s eyes widened as she recognized the sensation. It was an alert spell.

One that was set for the Castle of the Two Sisters, her old castle.

With hardened eyes, Celestia disappeared in a flash of light.

The first thing I did when I woke up was wipe the spider webbing off my face and body. I’m not arachnophobic or anything, but I am afraid of possible life-threatening bites. I had to be careful. If I got seriously hurt or sick then I’m pretty much fucked since I have no idea where Ponyville is, much less Fluttershy’s cottage. Out of all of the inhabitants, she is the most likely the only one who would be willing to help as the others might be too scared or rash to be of any help.

After I was sure that I didn’t pick up any passengers I looked around the room I was in.

Darkness was all that I saw, a pure black abyss. Alone in the dark, I began to lose my courage. I have never been afraid of the dark. No, there's no reason to be so.

It’s what’s in it that scares me the most.

My skin began to prickle and felt something shift in the air around me. The moldy air began to burn my nose and throat as my hands began to get clammy. I was about to lose myself in despair when suddenly a flare of light caught my eye and my head snapped to meet it. What I saw was...strange

There, sitting on a stone pedestal was a small bright orb illuminated with a rainbow-like glow. It couldn't be any bigger than a softball and it looked like it was made out of a crystal-like substance yet it was smooth like skin. The way the light reflected off its surface was hypnotic and I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Despite a part of me screaming at me to run and get as far away from this…thing as I could. There was something drawing me in clouding my sense of judgment and I couldn't help but slowly walk towards the orb.

That turned out to be a huge mistake.

When I touched the orb some force grasped my arm and I felt my veins burn with liquid mercury. My vision turned sky blue before streaks of red, purple, violet, light blue, topaz, and lime green sailed through my eyes before a black curtain fell once again over my consciousness.

Outside the Castle, there was a loud pop and a flash of light. Standing there Celestia looked at her old home in distaste. It wasn’t that she hated the place, she just didn’t like what it represented and the memories that it held.

The princess looked around and found that nothing obvious was happening. No sign of travelers, animals, or ponies. So it wasn’t an earth pony or any other ground-based creature. Pegasus were rightfully wary to fly over the forest as the air itself was tainted with chaotic magic. That ruled out a winged intruder so that was only left a being with magic.

Celestia reached out with her magical senses and found that there were magic particles left behind from a teleportation spell, but it was odd. It felt like her magic but different, almost alien-like. With a hum and narrowed eyes, Celestia walked into the ruins of her old home, her hooves clocking onto the stone floor.

I let out a gasp and my eyes snapped open. With a look around I saw that I was back in the main throne room proper. My brows furrowed as I wondered how this could be.

“I was in a cave wasn’t I?” I asked myself as I slowly got up. My right arm began to tingle like pins and needles, but when I looked I found nothing. I rotated my arm and massaged it as I got to my feet slowly. My back tensed up as the pain of my deteriorating disk chose that moment to flare up.

A grunt of pain uttered from my lips as I slowly straightened my back. “Shit,” I said softly as I looked around. The soft howling of the wind blew past me, the chill caused me to shudder. Instantly I wished I had my jacket, no I wished I was home where it was warm.

I let my head hang back and closed my eyes.

Okay, there is no point in sitting around whining. I need to figure out a way to survive the night. For that, I need a fire and something to cover myself.

With a nod, I straightened up my head and opened my eyes to look around. “So I need things that can burn,” I muttered to myself. I wondered if perhaps I would be able to explore outside for things to burn. There have to be trees or something, I mean what castle doesn’t have a garden of sorts? My eyes then wondered towards the tapestries that hung loosely. “I may be able to use that as a cloak of some sort or maybe a blanket, perhaps both?”

Clop

I paused at the sound as it echoed through the room. Something was coming.

Clop.

Should I hide? But where?

My head snapped around to find a place for me to hide as the clops became louder.

Shit, there is no time!

I looked around my feet and found a rock the size of a softball. “This will have to do,” I muttered as I reached down and picked up the rock. With the weapon in hand, I moved towards the wall and waited with my rock behind my head. Ready to throw at whatever threat that was coming toward me, I stood there.

Clop, Clop.

Wait a moment those sound like hooves, but there were only the two of them. Shouldn't there be four clops before they repeat? The sound of two means that whatever is coming is bipedal, like me.

Then a flicker of pale blues, greens, and pink mane passed through the door and relaxed a bit. “Thank god it's you Celes-” I was cut off when I came out from my hiding spot and Celestia came into the room.

But it wasn’t Celestia.

No, what stood before me was a bipedal version of Celestia. This one stood on her feet, or rather hooves, and towered over me just a few inches with her horn adding another foot. She was dressed in a long flowing white dress that resembled a sundress from back home. The dress hugged her curvy figure. On her hooves were golden shoes that covered the bottom of her hooves with strands going up to her leg. The same gold material was on her wrist, and I was surprised to see that she had a hand like mine but only thick with fur and she only had four fingers. Around her neck and on her head were her golden royal regalia as well as her slim waist.

Celestia’s pink eyes widened at me, “Sean,” she whispered and took a step forward.

I raised my rock again and stumbled backward, “Stay away from me!” I yelled.

Princess Celestia paused and looked concerned. “Sean it's me, Celestia,” she said, her voice cracking. “Don’t you remember me?”

“I remember Celestia,” I said, my breathing getting faster as I walked further back, “And you're not her!”

Celestia cocked her head to the side. Her fluffy ears flickered as her eyes danced in confusion, “What do you mean?” She asked. Puzzled at her behavior I stopped but I held up my rock ignoring the burning sensation in my shoulders.

“I came to your house,” Celestia said slowly, “It was just before Thanksgiving. You were sleeping and I tried to wake you up but you just looked at me and…”

“I said nope,” I finished slowly, “before turning around and going to sleep.”

Celestia nodded, “And I had used my magic to prove to you that I was, in fact, real.” Celestia brought a hand up to cover her lips and giggled. “The look on your face...”

The rock slipped from my hand and crashed to the ground with a loud clatter, “How…” gasped out. Celestia stopped giggling and slowly walked toward me, her hands up in a non-threatening manner. “I don’t understand,” I whispered as I backed into a pillar and slid down.

Celestia walked up to me and slowly got down to her knees. She pulled her dress to the side as she rested on the ground. When she was settled she began to speak, “I think I know what happened,” she rested her hands on her lap. “If you can fill the gaps I can maybe be able to figure out what caused this.”

Wordlessly I nodded my head.

Celestia slowly nodded her head, “Okay I think it is safe to assume that I came to you,” she began, “That I wanted to study humans.”

I nodded my head, “and while you were there we became friends. You opened up to me and cracked through your walls. While you did the same to me. I helped you through your loneliness and your sister.”

Celestia smiled, “That’s right and I helped you…”

“In the end when it was time for you to go,” I started as I rested my head in my hands.

“I offered to take you with me,” Celestia finished and I heard her walk over and sat next to me. “But you refused, saying that your place was on Earth.”

“But I was pushed by Jinx,” I said softly, “And I fell in.”

I heard Celestia shift next to me and let out a hum, “I can only guess what happened at this point,” she said slowly. “I think that somehow when your Celestia opened her portal she did so at the same exact time I did which weakened the barriers of our universes. Causing them to temporarily overlap.”

“You mean,” I said as I raised my head to look at the princess, “That the multiverse theory is true?”

Celestia nodded and brought up a hand and rubbed her chin, “Yes, when you fell into the portal you didn’t have anything tethering you to the destination like the other Celestia,” she explained.

“So it was a stroke of bad luck then,” I mumbled, “And I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you won’t be able to send me home.”

A warm hand rested itself on my back. I flinched slightly but eased into it. “I’m sorry, truly I am,” Celestia said and slowly I leaned into her. Her hand moved from my back to my shoulder so that she was hugging me. Her other hand went to my right arm, “Come on,” she said as she gently applied force to get me up, “I’ll take you to the castle and we can figure things out in the morning.”

Wordlessly I nodded and allowed Celestia to guide me around, “Princess…”

Celestia chuckled, “There is no need for formalities,” she said as we slowly made our way toward the center of the throne room. “You might not be the same exact one that I knew, and I might not be the same Celestia that you know.” I looked up to see Celestia smiling down at me. “But I hope that you will consider me your friend.”

“I…” I started when the pricking in my hand began to come back. it was subtle at first but it then grew. Then a burning sensation gripped my arm. “Agh!!” I screamed as I grasped my arm back. I heard Celestia scream but it was drowned out by the feeling of acid as it traveled up my arm and into my chest. Black dots danced across my sight just before I clenched my eyes shut and let out another scream of pain.

Then darkness.